Just FYI for the US or everyone that owns a dog. Dog thefts are on the rise. There was a story on it this morning: http://abcnews.go.com/US/dognappings-rise/story?id=14329379
And on the AKC site:
http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm

Becky

StillPooh

18th August 2011, 05:23 PM

This is why I always have my gates mounted with the latches on the inside of my 6 foot privacy fences, and keep them locked! :yikes

gamefanz

18th August 2011, 05:53 PM

We do the same. Our fence is an 8ft wood fence with a lock on the inside of the gate. Toby has 6 dog tags to ID him and a microchip.

Becky

This is why I always have my gates mounted with the latches on the inside of my 6 foot privacy fences, and keep them locked! :yikes

ByFloSin

18th August 2011, 07:44 PM

It's an ever increasing problem in the UK too.

Just a few common sense words of advice to help maximise personal security for dog owners:

First, some thieves walk or drive slowly round residential streets looking for signs of dog ownership. Things like dog statues in the front garden, figureines attached to the garden gate, or notices or house signs with pictures of dogs on them. It always amazes me how many Beware of the ............ dog signs you see in windows or attached to doors.

Microchip your dog at as early an age as your vet recommends and keep a copy of the paper work with the dog's PetLog number on it. Notify PetLog of any essential medication that your dog depends on, so that if, say, a diabetic dog is picked up by the Dog Warden, she can arrange for insulin injections.

Keep an up to date set of photographs in an easily accessible file on your computer of your dog, taken showing the face and head, another of the body and perhaps another showing the entire dog. Doing this will help you to print off copies quickly for the Police, to make wanted posters, and to e-mail to local shelters, vets and lists like this one.

Make life hot for the thieves. Saturate the area and others adjoining with posters showing pictures of the dog. The more posters you place, the more likely you will be to get your dog back. Sorry, there isn't a nice way to say this but try to include brief details of any illness or disability your dog has - it's harder to sell damaged goods.